Frequently Asked Questions

CCCS of West Georgia / East Alabama is a local non-profit agency that offers free and confidential money management counseling, financial crisis counseling, budgeting assistance, foreclosure prevention services, credit report evaluations, plus financial education classes and debt repayment plans. We have been in business since 1986 assisting consumers every day that - due to a lack of experience, poor money management skills, job loss, or a reduction of income due to illness or divorce - find themselves unable to comprehend or cope with their financial situation.

CCCS is also supported by the United Way of Chattahoochee Valley and the United Way of West Georgia, allowing us to serve consumers within a 100-mile radius of our main office in Columbus, Georgia. This includes, but is not limited to, Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Harris and Troup counties of Georgia and Russell & Lee counties of Alabama.

The most typically asked questions are listed below

What does CCCS do?Too often people develop credit problems from lack of financial planning, credit education, or a miscalculation of what they earn. Therefore, Consumer Credit Counseling Service is as much concerned with preventing problems as solving them. As a result, our professional counselors examine ways to prevent future financial difficulties through budgets or spending plans, as well as solving current financial problems. If credit problems are severe, counselors set up a debt management plan for the orderly liquidation of debt; this option is a viable alternative to bankruptcy.

CCCS helps individuals and families manage money through realistic budgets. In addition, the program assists in preventing future problems in the following ways:

1) Providing education to assist consumers in planning a family budget.

2) Providing education to all age groups on how to use credit appropriately through money management workshops in schools, businesses and community organizations.How does CCCS work?Anyone may contact Consumer Credit Counseling Service for a face-to-face confidential counseling appointment. At the appointment, a counselor will analyze personal financial data, such as monthly income, spending, and saving patterns, and provide advice on efficient money management methods. If needed, a counselor will develop a debt management plan to enable the individual or family to repay their creditors. The plan, when followed, will help people track their spending and set aside money for future expenses and emergencies. If needed, however, the counseling service will be available for future assistance.

If you are unable to travel to one of our locations, service by telephone or e mail is available.

Satisfaction SurveyWhat does a CCCS counseling session involve?It's simple. You call 1-800-757-2227 any business day of the week and schedule a free telephone or in-person counseling session. CCCS will review your finances, including your income, monthly expenses and debts, and help create a plan to achieve your financial goals.

How do I know if my situation warrants getting CCCS involved?If you're getting phone calls from creditors or just making minimum payments on your credit cards, you should call us before things get really out of control.

Will CCCS stop the annoying phone calls from collectors?Yes. In most cases, creditors will stop phone calls after a consumer enters a debt repayment plan with CCCS.

Will working with CCCS affect my credit?Calling CCCS for counseling in no way affects your credit score or report. Even if you enter a CCCS Debt Management Plan, CCCS does not report your participation in our Debt Management Plan to credit bureaus. However, be aware that each creditor deals with CCCS clients in a different way. Even though CCCS makes no entries on your credit report, some creditors may report that your account is included on a Debt Management Plan. Creditors may report your account as current when they receive our proposal, while some wait until they have received three consecutive payments through CCCS. They appreciate that you are honoring your debts rather than running from them through bankruptcy, and after seeing a consistent payment history through CCCS, may look at you as a better credit risk than the typical consumer. Other creditors will consider your account delinquent, will accept the payment from CCCS and stop calling you but they may still report negative information to credit bureaus. It is up to the individual creditor to make changes in the "history of payment" column on your credit report. CCCS cannot remove information from your credit report, but we can assist you in contacting your creditors for a review of your account.

How much is this going to cost?CCCS is a non-profit organization offering its counseling services to you free of charge. If you choose to enter a Debt Management Plan, depending on your state of residence, you will be charged a monthly administrative fee. CCCS is funded primarily through contributions, grants, and the United Way. Debt repayment plans serve the dual role of helping you repay your debts and creditors to receive the money owed them.